Starting a New Hobby
This past week or so, Boy 1 has been in one of his downward swings. Or maybe, this is the real him and when he's behaving better it's the temporary part. Either way. The past week, if he wasn't telling me how stupid I am or how much he hates me, he's been calling me names. He feels I am fucking bitch, a hoebag (hobag? ho bag?) a faggot, etc. He's gone out of his way to be horrible to his brother, to argue with everything I've asked him to do. If I remind him of the time in the morning, I'm a fucking nag. If I don't remind, I'm a fucking bitch. I'm not certain which is better, to be a nag or a bitch...
On top of that, I got my cell phone bill today. Now, Boy 1 just got his cell phone back a few months ago. It seems this past month, he got the bright idea to make prank calls to 411. Now, on the bright side, at least he wasn't making prank calls to 911. On the deep, dark, bad side, he made prank calls to the tune of $50, at 1.49 per call. AND, even though he said he was checking the number of text messages he had left each time I asked him to, and told me he had this many left, he went over by 200, to the tune of $30. That's $80 freaking dollars in crap on top of my normal bill.
Also, (to continue my rant.. pull up a chair, I may be a while), I got my tax stimulus check. HOWEVER, I'm too poor to get the whole thing. You see, my tax liability wasn't high enough to earn the whole $600, so I only received $300. Still nice to have, but the irony of being too poor to receive free money, nice slap in the face.
And, to add the salt to the wound, today. Today, I was mowing my lawn for the first time this year. Got my mower to start right up, lovely. Did about 8 laps and noticed my mower sounded funny all of the sudden. Probably because the oil tank had literally fallen off. While I mowed. I'm pretty sure an oil tank is an important part of an engine, right?
So, ok karma, I get it. You win, I'm totally giving up. I'm going to watch a sad movie, cry my lonely little heart out and start my new hobby. Drinking. It just seems like a good hobby for me.
6 Things People Said:
wait, they didn't send you $$$ for boys 1 & 2?? or does your ex get to claim them, so he gets the stupid stimulus money instead?? Stupid government.
plus. (still thinking about this!) even elderly folks who have NO TAX LIABILITY at ALL are getting the dough. So why not you? I'd call them on it. I really would.
You need to get the following book: "The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child." I found this guy on Slate.com right when our eldest little sassypants was making us nuts. We haven't even really implemented the whole program and his approach has helped us significantly. He explicitly discusses modifying the approach for different age levels, including the oh-so-fun early teen years. You should NOT have to put up with being called names, cussed at, and so forth. That is NOT acceptable and you are right to feel that it needs to be addressed.
For the cellphone, while I know assvice is always about as welcome as a fart in a phone booth, perhaps you could come up with a list of chores and dollar amounts. He can have the phone back when he's "paid off" his debt to society (you) and you can enjoy some free labor around the house. I'd do the Kazdan stuff first, or else you are going to wind up with the usual onslaught of being cussed out and resented.
Two words: Prepaid phone. And I'm with gurukarm, you should check that out.
I'm going to check out that book right now, thanks! I've lived with Raising Your Spirited Child, which is helpful, but obviously not working.
can you please move to san diego and be my next door neighbor? seriously. it would be grand. you could come drink coffee, er, gin, in my kitchen when boy 1 is being a...whatever.
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